Low-cost counselling in North London
Somewhere to talk things through, for whatever you can afford
Fleet Counselling is a small charity in Belsize Park. We have offered confidential, one-to-one counselling since 1987. Your first session is free, and nobody is turned away for being on a low income.
Your first session is free
Your first session costs nothing. You decide afterwards whether counselling is for you.
Up to twenty-four weekly sessions with the same counsellor, one hour a week — more than most services offer.
Run by qualified volunteer counsellors, from the same corner of Belsize Park.
How it works
Four steps — and you can stop at any one of them
Nothing is decided before you have met someone and seen how it feels.
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You get in touch
Call and leave a message with your name and a number, or send an email. One of our counsellors will get back to you to arrange a first appointment. There is often a wait — we will be honest with you about how long.
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You come for a first session, free
This one costs nothing. You talk about what has been going on and what you are hoping for, and together you work out whether we are the right place for it. If we are not, we will try to point you somewhere that is.
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You agree a donation you can afford
If you decide to carry on, you and your counsellor agree a regular donation together, based on what you can genuinely afford. Nobody is turned away because they are on a low income.
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You meet the same counsellor, weekly
Up to an hour a week, at the same time, with the same person, for up to twenty-four sessions. Everything you say stays between the two of you.
The first step is the hardest. You do not have to explain it well.
Ask for a first sessionWho it is for
People come to us for all sorts of reasons
You do not need a diagnosis, a referral, or a good reason. If things feel like too much, that is reason enough.
- Feeling low, flat or hopeless
- Anxiety, panic or constant worry
- A relationship that is going wrong
- Separation, divorce or family breakdown
- Bereavement and loss
- Losing your job, or money worries
- Drinking or using more than you want to
- Living with violence or its aftermath
- Feeling isolated or far from home
- Not knowing quite what is wrong
What it costs
You pay what you can genuinely afford — and the first session is free
We are a charity, not a clinic. Every counsellor, supervisor and trustee here works unpaid. What clients give covers the running costs: rooms, insurance, administration, counsellors’ travel.
After your free first session, you and your counsellor agree a regular donation. It is a conversation, not a price list, and it takes your actual circumstances into account. If money is the thing stopping you from picking up the phone, please pick up the phone anyway.
Who we are
A small charity that has stayed put
Fleet Counselling was set up in 1987 by a group of trained volunteer counsellors, to support students at the Fleet Community Education Centre in NW3. The remit widened over the years; the principle did not.
We are run by a team of qualified volunteer counsellors, therapists, supervisors and trustees. Every counsellor is fully trained, and all of them attend supervision with an outside consultant every fortnight — the professional safeguard that keeps the work honest and keeps clients safe.
Most people find us themselves. Others are pointed our way by their GP surgery, by another counselling service, or by a local community organisation.
to follow
In memory
Alan [SURNAME]
[19XX – 20XX][ONE SENTENCE ON WHO ALAN WAS AND WHAT HE DID — e.g. Alan brought together the group of volunteer counsellors who started Fleet in 1987, and gave [PLACEHOLDER] years to the service.]
[SECOND PARAGRAPH — something specific and true, from the people who knew him: what he was like in a room, what he insisted on. The kind of detail that cannot be written from the outside, and should not be invented.]
Everything on this website rests on a decision made in 1987: that being short of money should never be the reason someone cannot talk to somebody.
What actually happens in a session
An hour, a quiet room, and someone whose only job is to listen properly. If you have never done this before, start here.
About counselling →Volunteer as a counsellor
We take on qualified counsellors and those training on a BACP or UKCP accredited course, with supervision and travel expenses provided.
Placements at Fleet →Questions people ask first
What it costs, how long you wait, who else finds out, and what happens if it turns out not to be right for you.
Read the answers →Find us
A few minutes from Belsize Park station
We are in a quiet residential street in Belsize Park. Look for the rear entrance of number 3 — it is round the side of the building, not the front door.
| Address | The Rear Entrance 3 Daleham Gardens London NW3 5BY |
|---|---|
| Open | Tuesdays, 6–8pm |
| Nearest tube | Belsize Park or Finchley Road |
The hardest part is usually the first message. You do not have to explain it well — you just have to say you would like to talk to someone.
Fleet Counselling